Description of the attraction
Nicosia is not only the capital of Cyprus, but also the spiritual center of the island. This city is home to a huge number of Christian temples and churches. So, one of these shrines is the Cathedral of St. John the Theologian, located in the very heart of Nicosia on the territory of the old city.
The cathedral would have been erected in the 17th century on the site of a monastery that belonged to the Western European Benedictine order and is named after St. John. Only a small building remained from the monastery, in which the exposition of the ethnographic museum is now presented.
The cathedral was created at a time when the island was under the rule of the Ottomans, so outwardly it looks very modest, so as not to attract too much attention to itself - it is a relatively small building without a dome, with a low bell tower. Despite its modest appearance and small size, this temple is a truly unique structure. Its interior decoration is striking in its beauty and luxury: the walls and ceiling are almost completely covered with beautiful bright frescoes created in the years 1736-1756, which depict various scenes from the Bible, as well as events during the struggle of the Cyprus Church for independence. Among other plots, there is even a detailed depiction of the scene of the Last Judgment. The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist is the only temple in the city where the ancient wall paintings have been fully preserved. In addition, next to it there is a museum of ancient icons, some of which are more than a thousand years old.
Due to the fact that this saint is equally revered by both Orthodox and Catholics, thousands of pilgrims come to this place every year. It is also in this temple that the coronation of the new archbishops of the island takes place.
